Week 6 Students with Exceptionalities
Name: Sydney Bauman
Date of field experiences reported: 9/26-9/30
Time spent: 8:22-9:57 A.M.
Sequence of Events.
I spent the majority of the week answering questions that the students had. In addition to answering questions, this week I was able to lead the instruction. I led the instruction on Tuesday, and the content that was covered was the standard form of a quadratic equation. On Wednesday, the students had a homework day. The rest of the week consisted of the students learning the next lesson.
Elaboration of One or Two Significant Episodes.
9/27/22
At the beginning of class on Tuesday, I made sure the example problem was pulled up, so when the students arrived, I was ready to teach. The struggle with basic arithmetic is something that is common in the second period, Analytical Algebra 2. One specific instance occurred while the students were trying a problem on their own. I was walking around the room to help any students that needed it. When I walked up to the desk of the student that was struggling with basic arithmetic, I stopped to make sure she was inputting the correct numbers and signs into her calculator. This is when I told her what needed to be changed. Although she may not have an IEP/504 to get the support of a calculator, it is allowed in the classroom. If it was not allowed, the students, including this specific student, would continue to fall further behind.
9/28/22
The entire class period on Wednesday was spent working on an assignment for the lesson that we worked on the previous day or two. At Anderson High School, those students with IEPs and 504s can get extra one-on-one help with these assignments. These students are sent to the student support center. If the student support center is not overwhelmed, those students who do not have IEPs or 504s can get extra help if they need it. On Wednesday, two students asked the teacher to go to the student support center to get help with their assignment. This is where they spent the remainder of the class period. During third period, a few students asked to go to the student support center, but the teacher told them that there were two of us in the classroom that could help before they went to the student support center.
Analysis of Episode(s).
9/27/22
From discussions with my peers, I know that this situation, and situations similar to it, are happening all over. Students fall behind when they are younger and continue to fall further behind as they grow older. It then becomes difficult for students to grasp new concepts when they struggle with basic arithmetic. Giving her and the other students the support of a calculator allows for everyone to keep at the same pace, which allows the teacher to keep to the schedule. I believe allowing her the support of a calculator has both its advantages and disadvantages. She now has the ability to complete her homework and earn the best possible grade, which I would consider an advantage. As for disadvantages, the basic arithmetic that will be helpful for years to come is something she will not be graduating with or adding to her repertoire. This ultimately feels like we have failed her as an educator. One way to keep this from happening would be to include basic arithmetic lessons in our agenda in order to get students up to speed.
9/28/22
Having a student support center can be beneficial to several students. Giving these students the one-on-one attention they need with the content will aid in their success in the classroom. On Tuesday, this may have allowed these students to not only be more successful but to feel more comfortable with asking questions and getting the help they needed. In my opinion, giving students access to the student support center is of utmost importance. Although, I can think of two reasons for setbacks with having this. The first one is that the students may be asking to go for all the wrong reasons. For example, they may just want to leave to get out of the classroom. Another setback would be that there are not enough resources to allow all of the students who need them to go to the student support center.
Week Overview
This week was like the first two in that I spent time answering the questions the students had. Then I took it a step further and led the instruction. When I led the instruction, I felt as if it went well. My nerves were at a minimum, and I believe the majority of the students were engaged. Those that were not engaged are rarely engaged, so this is still an issue that needs to be worked on. Looking at the IEPs and 504s was something that I enjoyed. I considered it a way to better know the students and their different exceptionalities.
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